Counterbalanced band wheel



Nov. 20, 1928. 1,692,581

W. SCHWEMLEIN COUNTERBALANCED BAND WHEEL Filed July 1, 1927 WSCHWEMLE/Na2, mum p I meow Patented Nov. 20, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PAR-KERSBURG RIG & REEL COMPANY, OF PARKERSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA, A COR-PORATION OF WEST VIRGINIA.

COUNTERBALANCED BAND WHEEL.

Application filed July 1,

This invention relates to band wheels for oil'well apparatus designedand adapted for pumping and for other operations and more particularlyto readily adjustable counterbalances for the band wheels employed insuch apparatus.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a counter-balancedband Wheel having counter-weights which may be easily and 1o quicklymoved into operative position to balance the sucker rod secured at theend of the beam over the well when the apparatus is used for pumping,and into an inoperative or neutral position when the apparatus is usedto perform other operations than pumping.

,A further object of this invention is to provide a band wheel having aplurality of counter-weights pivotally mounted on a support carried by aportion of the hub of the band wheel which may be quickly and securelyheld or locked in operative or in inoperative or neutral position andwhich may be readily shifted from one of such posit-ions to the otherand readily secured in such position.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent during the course ofthe following description.

As will be readily understood by those skilled in the art, it isdesirable to provide the band wheels employed in oil well apparatus forpumping and drilling and the like, with means for counter-balancing thesucker rod carried on the end of the walking beam and operated by theband wheel. Moreover since the rig is employed for purposes other thanpumping, it is desirable that the counter-balances may be readilyshifted into a neutral or inoperative position. when it is not necessaryto provide a counter-balance for the sucker rod. Various types ofcounter-balances for band wheels have been provided heretofore but suchcounter-balances have not been found to be wholly satisfactory becauseof the lack of ease with which the counterweights are shifted back andforth between the operative and inoperative or neutral positions. By theemployment of this invention the band wheel counter-weights may bereadily securely held or locked in either operative or neutral positionand may be readily shifted to the opposite position and quickly securedtherein.

In the accompanying drawings I 'have' 1927. Serial No. 202,953.

shown a preferred embodiment of my invention. In th1s showmg:

Figure 1 1s a side elevation with the counter-weights in operativeposition,

12 spaced from the face of the band wheel' and provided with alongitudinally extending web 13 arranged between the arm 12 and the faceof the band wheel 10. The boss 11 is provided with a central openingwhich is adapted to receive a drive shaft 14 to which the band wheel iskeyed by means of a key or spline 15.

A pair of counter-weights 16 are pivotally mounted on pins 17 carried bythe arm 12. Each of the counter-weights is preferably in the form of askeleton sector and is provided with a heavily weighted portion 18adjacent the outer end thereof. A T-shaped abutment 19 is arranged onthe band wheel 10 adjacent the periphery thereof and the weightedportions 18 are cut away as at 20 and 21 to receive such abutment. Theinner portion 22 of each of the counter-weights is provided with anopening 23 adapted to receive the pins 17 carried by the arm 12. Thecounterweights 16 are provided with gear teeth 24, which are adapted tointer'mesh regardless of the position of the counter-weights. The innerportion 22 and the weighted outer portion 18 of each of thecounter-weights are connected by spaced connecting arms 25 and 28. Thearms 25 are provided with a plurality of spaced openings 26 and aredesigned to lie in abutting relation when the counterweights are intheir outer or operative position. The arms 25 are adapted to be securedtogether by means of nuts and bolts 27, the openings 26 in each of themembers 25 being in alined position when the counter weigl'its are inoperative position to receive bolts therethrough. The connecting arms 28are curved as at 29 and the weighted portions 18 are cut away as at 30in order to receive the boss 11' when the counter-weights are in neutralposition. Each of the weighted members is also cut away as at 31 toreceive a lip 32 carried by the other of the weighted portions. The lips32 are arranged to overlap when the counter-weights are in neutralposition and are provided with openings 33 which are adapted to receivea bolt 34 to secure the counter-weights in inoperative position.

In the operation of the device when the band wheel is being used inpumping operations the counter-weights 16 are swung into operativeposition as indicated in Figure 1, and the members 25 are securedtogether by means of the nuts and bolts 27. It will be readily apparentthat when the members 16 are in this position they will serve as acounter-balance for sucker rods or the like. When it is desired tooperate the band wheel without a counter-balance the counter-weights 16are moved into neutral position by removing the nuts and bolts 27 andswinging the members 16 into inoperative or neutral position asindicated in Figure 2. The lips 32 are then secured together by means ofa bolt 32 arranged in the openings 33.

It will be understood that the support 12 is of such length with respectto the, c'ounter weight 16 that the weighted members 18 will lieadjacent the edge of the band wheel 10 when they are in operativeposition and will lie adjacent the geometrical center of the wheel 10when in neutral position. The gear teeth 24 are provided on the weightsso that if the counter-weights are positioned horizontally the twomembers will balance one another when the shift from the operative tothe inoperative position or vice versa is made.

While I have described in detail the preferred embodiment of myinvention it is to be understood that the shape, size and arrangement ofparts may be widely varied without departing from the s irit of theinvention or the scope of the su joined claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described cornprisin a rotatable member, asupporting arm carrie by and spaced from said member, counter-balancingmeans pivotally mounted on said supporting arm, said counter-balancingmeans being adapted to swing in a plane parallel to the plane of saidrotatable member, and means for securing said counter-balancing means inoperative or counter-balancing and inoperative or neutral positions.

2. A device of the character described comprising a rotatable memberhaving a hub portion, a supporting arm carried by said hub portion, aplurality of counter-weights pivotally mounted on said supporting arm,and

means for securing said counter-weights in operative orcounter-balancing and inoperative or neutral positions.

3. A device of the character described comprising a band wheel,-asupporting arm carried by said band wheel, a pair of counterweightspivotally mounted at their inner ends on said supporting arm, saidcounter-weights having wei hted portions at the outer ends thereof, am?means for securin said counterweights in operative or counteralaneingand inoperative or neutral positions.

4. A device of the character described comprising a band wheel, asupporting arm carried by said band wheel, a pair of counter weightspivotally mounted at their inner ends on said supporting arm, saidcounter-weights having weighted portions at the outer ends thereof, andmeans for securing said counterweights in operative or counter-balancingand inoperative or neutral positions, the inner ends of saidcounter-weights being provided with intermeshing gear teeth.

5. A band wheel having a central hub portion, a supporting arm carriedby said hub portion, counter-weights hingedly mounted on said supportingarm intermediate the hub portion and the periphery of said band wheel,an abutment carried by said band wheel adjacent the periphery thereof,and means for detachably securing said counter-weights in operativeposition in abutting relation with said abutment.

6. A band wheel having a central hub portion provided with a projectingboss, counter-weights indirectly carried by said band wheel andpivotally mounted intermediate said hub portion and the periphery ofsaid band wheel, the outer portion of said counterweights being cut awayat a point removed from their pivot points to receive said boss when thecounter-weights are in inoperative position, and means for detachablysecuring said counter-weights in inoperative position.

7 A band wheel having a central hub portion provided with a projectingboss, countor-weights indirectly carried by said band wheel andpivotally mounted intermediate said hub portion and the periphery ofsaid band wheel, the outer portion of said counterweights being cut awayat a point removed from their pivot points to receive said boss when thecounter-weights are in inoperative position, and over-lapping earscarried by the outer portion of said counter-weights, said ears beingada ted to be detachably secured together to hol the counter-weights ininoperative position.

In testimony whereofl aflix my signature.

WILLIAM SCHWEMLEIN.

